Economic Recovery Strategy Study for Bogor City during the COVID-19

In 2020, Citieslab conducted an Economic Recovery Strategy Study for Bogor City during the COVID-19 pandemic for the local government. The pandemic caused a health crisis with severe economic impacts. Indonesia implemented Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB), including school closures, shutdowns of tourism and entertainment venues, and restrictions on non-essential office operations. These measures disrupted the informal sector, especially MSMEs, leading to widespread layoffs and business closures.

In Bogor, the pandemic caused a sharp decline in regional revenue, with the Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition (MICE) sector, which typically contributes 30% to the local economy, severely impacted. This, in turn, affected other sectors like MSME tourism and transportation.

Survey results showed that workers in manual labor, retail, and freelancing were most affected by job losses. While over half of respondents experienced no job changes, 77% reported a decreased income. Many also expressed interest in alternative work in healthy food, sports equipment, vegetables, fruits, and frozen food. This insight provides valuable input for the government to design business training programs aligned with these emerging interests.